The Hardest Part
by bornfalling
Summary: You have to be easy on yourself, she thinks, your world won't collapse; In which Tenten learns that letting go of inhibitions is for the best. Modern AU.


It was after the third taxi she had failed to hail had blown past her in the freezing rain did Tenten decide that she was better off with the train tonight. She had finally secured the contract to plan the Akimichi's most recent restaurant and was excited to get back to her apartment to celebrate with the leftover ice cream she had bought the night before. Maybe she would even get dumplings.

Interrupting her thoughts was a taxi, coasting to a halt beside her. Elated, she opened the door without a second thought and climbed in to see man already in the backseat.

"Sorry!" she yelped, pulling back her left foot out of the yellow car. To her surprise the man in the vehicle, a nice looking man with brown hair and a toothy smile, laughed at this.

"No, get in, it's really no problem to share," he replied. "Where are you going?"

It was now for the first time Tenten looked at the stranger, just a brief once over but it was enough to take him in. He seemed to be a happy man; with tousled hair, odd red triangle markings, and black suit, she found him quite good looking.

"Asakusa, but please, finish your ride before…" her sentence trailed off as she weighed out how the logistics of paying for the cab would actually work with two people.

"It's really not a problem," he said grinning, "I'm in no rush."

The rest of taxi ride went smoothly. Tenten would find out that he was Inuzuka Kiba, a veterinarian who worked at his family's hospital and had only recently graduated from med school. She told him about her last project, working with Teuchi to expand upon Ichiraku, and her personal love of his sesame dumplings that were so hard to find in Tokyo. Their conversation continued to go well, as she noticed he was incredibly easy-going and found herself wishing she lived further away as they pulled up to her apartment building. In front of the building she began reaching into her purse for her wallet.

Without warning Kiba dug into his own pocket, pulled out money for the fair, and handed the cash to the driver. "On me. It was very nice meeting you, Tenten."

Despite her best efforts, a slight blush crept onto her face as she opened her door. "You too, and thanks for the ride."

* * *

Having finished the pint of strawberry ice cream from the freezer Tenten sighed and placed her bowl in the sink as she headed for her bedroom. The apartment she lived in had been the same for the past 6 years since she had moved out from her uncle's house.

Checking her clock, she reluctantly climbed out of her bed. She and Temari were to meet at 6 and the two had made plans to meet up to go to a bar while the blonde was in town. Well, the meet-up was more of a small party her friend was throwing for her fiance's newest business success and his most recent birthday.

Out of her closet Tenten pulled a long sleeve red dress and black pumps out, and chose the gold necklace she had received from Temari a few years ago. She spent a few moments tying her hair into a chignon before dusting some make-up on her face and grabbing her black clutch.

Tenten was not particularly in the habit of dressing up, or going to events for that matter but Temari had promised that her fiance had some very good looking friends. And who was she to turn a guy down? Her last relationship had ended 3 years before and she hadn't been on a single date since.

...

When she arrived at the place, a flurry of lights and music assaulted her senses. Checking her phone to see if she was at the right place (which she was), she walked cautiously up to the entrance.

"Name?" a looming bouncer said to her.

"Rock Tenten."

"Okay, go on in." The large man motioned with a chubby hand and she walked into the den.

It turned out that the "bar" Temari had set up for Shikamaru's party was a medium-sized club that was currently filled with a plethora of people she was sure Shikamaru himself didn't even know. Scanning the room, Tenten internally thanked her luck that she was not over, or under, dressed. As she reached into her clutch for her phone an arm reached around her.

"Hey Kankuro," she said without turning to face him.

Looking less shocked than amused at her recognition, the taller man pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's nice to see you again, Ten."

Unsurprisingly the heavy scent of alcohol was laced on his breath. "I've missed you too- you should come out to Tokyo more often."

"You know me, I'm a homebody," to that they both laughed, "besides Matsuri's pretty pregnant now and she'd kill me if I left her for more than a day. You want a drink?"

To that Tenten agreed, and the pair found their way to the actual bar. After they had finished sharing a drink Kankuro headed out to wish Shikamaru and Temari a farewell before going back to Matsuri at the hotel.

Alone again, she set out to look for her best friend. It didn't take that long to find the tall women who was sitting in her mildly distressed fiance's lap. Upon seeing Tenten, Temari immediately jumped from Shikamaru's lap to embrace her.

"Ten! I'm so glad you could make it."

"Me too Temari, but "small get together" aren't the words I'd use to describe this," she replied in jest.

"Mmm, me either but what Temari wants, Temari gets," interjected Shikamaru who was lazily sitting on a plush couch with a half-full glass in his hand.

"Oh shut it, Shika. You know this is the kind of party you have to have if you want to be taken seriously in this business," Temari rolled her eyes at him before sweeping Tenten away to the club's mini-balcony.

The friends made small talk for a while as Tenten shared her own business success with Temari and Temari told her about her own wedding preparations. It was thus inevitable then, when the taller woman started asking what she really wanted to know.

"See anyone you like?"

"Ha, not yet Temari. At this rate I'm more likely to find- Temari?" Mid-sentence Tenten had just noticed Temari's absence, something she had not seen while looking out onto the lower level of the club. With a huff she resumed staring into the crowd below.

"Oh, sorry Ten. I'm just a little distracted is all. Shika proposed to me."

"What? When? Oh my god Temari, that's fantastic. What'd you say?"

"I dunno anymore Ten- it's not that I don't love him, I really do. It's just... we... Oh Ten."

With a sigh Temari threw her head back in frustration, closing her eyes to shut out the bright, flashing lights.

Scrunching up her face, Tenten, put her glass down on the railing, "Come on Temari, I have a few bottles of wine back at my place and two quarts of ice cream."

* * *

deleted, made a few changes.


End file.
